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Get started with Brush Calligraphy

Wherever you are in your calligraphy journey, brush calligraphy is a great way for beginners to learn. The ink is already loaded and there are plenty of options to choose from when finding a pen you like. Take a look at the posts below (some of them have videos!) and start writing today!

What is Brush Calligraphy?

Brush Calligraphy is the umbrella term for calligraphy created with a brush. What you’ll find here at Pieces Calligraphy is all things brush pen calligraphy, meaning a brush pen or brush marker pen is used. Other brushes include the paintbrush and waterbrush, although those are not covered here (yet!).

Hi Jasmin! Great question. You can certainly use a paint brush, although I do not have much experience with one, so I cannot say how my blog posts and tutorials will transfer. In general, the concepts are similar: Thin upstrokes, thick downstrokes. Try checking out The Postman’s Knock or Random Olive online. Both blogs have tutorials and worksheets that feature the paint brush. Hope that helps!

Hi Sharisse. I am in my 50’s. Since I have alot of spare time I am very interested in learning calligrapy..Your ig is superb. Easy to follow instructions. But I am totally zero on and how to start. Please help.

Hi Sharisse, I just bought my 1st pen (Pentel touch) and started yesterday. The first time I put pen to paper, I was puzzled.. isn’t this just a normal marker? Then I surfed around for tutorial videos and discovered your channel and your blog. By the end of today I’ve finished your basic 8 videos and got the hang of things. I showed my notebook to my friends and already received some praises, heeehee! You are a great teacher, THANK YOU SO MUCH! I can’t tell you how happy I am to discover that there’s a section with tips for lefties. I’m going to delve into these next. Thanks!!!!!!!

Hi Shue! Did you get the Pentel touch with a brush tip? Make sure it is not the Pentel with a FINE point. You want the BRUSH tip so that it is flexible and can bend and create those thin/thick strokes you need for brush calligraphy. Yes, these are essentially markers – which makes it super easy for learning letterforms and mastering the basics!

So happy you are learning a lot from my blog. Please let me know what else you need help with or what questions you have. Thanks and happy writing!

Hi Vanesha! You know what? I have never made letters that big before! Therefore, I wouldn’t be able to tell you the best tool or method for achieving that size. You can try using faux calligrahy to create letters that size, and then fill in the letters. Hope that thelps!

Hi Sharisse! Im a newbie at brush lettering.. Thanks for all your tips and tutorials (haven’t watched it all though!) Im already following you in Instagram and your works are my inspiration. Hoping that I could be as good as you one day! Stay blessed! 🤗

You are always welcome, Sharon!!! I was just there in the beginning myself, so I know how overwhelming and challenge it can be to get started. Glad to hear you are finding it easier to learn and practice. Keep at it! 🙂

Hi Ellen! Great question – brush calligraphy can be used for so many things. Crafts and products, such as handwritten letters, gift tags, and custom prints. Teaching the art of calligraphy in general, which I do primarily on my blog, YouTube, and Instagram account. And brush calligraphy can be digitized and then used in a multitude of ways, such as creating logos, more custom prints, and printing onto anything from paper to mugs and fabric and wood, etc. The idea is that brush calligraphy is simply another type of handlettering that gives something a personal touch. While pointed pen has a classic and timeless look and feel to it, I have found brush calligraphy easier to start with as a beginning calligrapher, since one does not have to worry about so many supplies like ink and nibs and holders. Just a pen and paper is all you essentially need for brush calligraphy! 🙂

Hi Sharisse!
I stumbled upon your brush calligraphy videos on YouTube and binged watched all of them! lol I have gone back and watched the first three/four (multiple times) and practiced afterward and will continue to do so.
The little things make all the difference. You pointed out the importance of transitioning before/after the waistline and baseline. I got it!!!
Your videos are easy to understand and follow. From a selfish standpoint, I’d like your videos to be just a tad longer. 🙂
Oh, I’ve also placed an order for several of the brush pens you suggested. I purchased a brush pen by Faber-Castell. I think I’ll have to buy another because it’s in constant use.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Great job!

Hi Rolanda! I am thrilled to be a part of your journey! Thanks for watching and visiting my blog. I truly appreciate your support and encouragement. Happy writing! Let me know if you have any questions.

What an incredible resource! I am so excited to get started, even drills sound great! I’ve got Tombow dual ends (just the grey/black set right now, plus the blender, but I ordered Bright, Primary, & Secondary, so soon I’ll have a whole rainbow!) as well as the Tombow Fude Soft and Hard; I’ll have to see which is the best fit for me. I’m left-handed, too, so I really appreciate the extra leftie tips!

I’ve got Rhodia pads and will dig out some legal pads, too – tonight I shall be spending some serious Quality Time with my pens. I’ve done “regular” hand-lettering for a few months now, and am eager to try brush lettering! (I am normally not a person who uses so many exclamation marks in just a few sentences, so you can tell how jazzed I am. 😉 )

Hi, Ariel! Hooray! Thrilled to hear your excitement. Enjoy and please let me know if you have any questions!!! I also have a ton of videos on YouTube, and I am starting to do Periscope broadcasts where you can tune in live and ask me questions and watch demos. Happy writing!!!

hi! I’ve been following you, learning each stroke. On instagram you had an awesome worksheet that showed each letter broken down by each stroke, but I can’t find it anywhere on this blog. Can you please let me know where I can find it? I love your work and your demonstrations. It’s so fun to learn to write calligraphy!

Hi, Lauren! I did not yet share that worksheet… still trying to find the time to finalize it!!! Since you’re following along on Instagram, you will certainly know when it is available. I’ll be announcing it a least a few times! In the meantime, did you see my current worksheet of the lowercase alphabet and all my basic strokes? See the “Worksheets” section above ^^^!!!

No worksheets on capitals yet! Hoping to share soon. If you check out my alphabet hashtag on Instagram, you can find a few of them: #piecesABCs. Also, check out Nina’s capitals on Instagram at the tag: #anintran_majuscules.

Hi Joyce! I’m so sorry for the wait. I’ve been busy building my beginner workshop that focuses on lowercase. However, my advanced class will have capitals, so I’ll be creating worksheets for them “soon” (again, sorry for the wait!). In the meantime, check out these resources on Instagram for references to capital letters:

#anintran_majuscules
@portia_hand (scroll ALLLL the way down to find capital letters)
@thewordaffair
@letterarchive

WOW!!! I’m so glad I found this post! This is EXACTLY what I was looking for!! I have ALWAYS loved calligraphy and hand-lettering but never really got into it. I’ve been looking into getting started as I think it would be such a fun hobby as well as a very useful skill to have (I’m a freelance graphic designer).

I’m on the hunt for some materials this week and plan to get started with your guides this weekend. Being a lefty, I appreciate the tips you’ve included for us!! Thanks so much 🙂 I’m too excited

So happy to hear, Emma! It’s amazing how helpful it is to know the basics of calligraphy, simply to create beautiful notes, dress up your personal gifts, or even design something more intricate such as a logo or a decorative quote. Let me know what questions you have or what you are struggling with. When I return from my blogging break, I want to be sure I am addressing your concerns! Thanks and happy writing!

Hello, thank you so much for your instructions!
What is the best time to practice. Every day, say about 15 minutes. Twice a week for a hour? I do experience some improvement, but I also feel like it takes a long time!
Now I try to practice every day for about 15 minutes.

Hi Sylvia! Every day for 15 minutes is PERFECT. If you are like me, you are super busy and tired, so it can be hard to find much time. If you are able to practice for an hour – go for it. But listen to your body, hands, and brain! If you start to get tired, unmotivated, or frustrated, take a break or stop and pick up the next day.

You are right – it takes time to improve. Quality is better than quantity though. So instead of focusing on long periods of practice, try to really focus on one thing each time you pick up a pen, and just try to get better with each stroke. Don’t worry about making improvements fast or being able to master the entire alphabet right away. If you compare your work to even just a few weeks ago and can tell you are much more confident and writing better strokes and building your muscle memory, then you are on the right track! If you feel you are not improving at all, try sending me a photo of your work or tagging me in a post on Instagram and let me know you need some feedback. I would love to provide some helpful critiques and suggest ways you can improve.

Thanks, Alexandra! I appreciate the feedback. While I am currently on a blogging break, I am avidly taking notes on what works (and what doesn’t) so I can create more materials and helpful guides for you! Let me know what else you need help with. Have a great day, too!

Hi Sharisse,
THANK YOU so much for collecting your tuts & guidelines here in one place. I’ve been looking for some guidelines on brush lettering, and this is one of the most valuable collections out there. And your Instagram posts are super helpful, too. Thank you so much for freely sharing these resources!!

Hey!! I recently bought my first set of brush pens and your videos have been really helpful in learning how to use them! Thank you so much!
I do have a few questions though. Will you be posting any videos to help with upper case letters?
And also it would be really great if you could do one dealing with how to join individual letters together to make words as I’m having trouble connecting letters like ‘o’ and ‘x’ smoothly.
Thanks again! 🙂

Hey there! I will definitely be sharing videos on capital letters. For starters, you can grab my PDF guide of the upper case letters here: http://learnbrushcalligraphy.com. It’s part of the (free) starter guide I’m sending folks who sign up for my online course waiting list. Let me know if it helps!

Hi Sharisse!
Thank you for all the great tips and sharing your work! You were my inspiration to start brush calligraphy! Your posts on Instagram are absolutely amazing! Keep up your amazing talent! Love all the way from Maldives!! ❤

I am really enjoying your site. I’m brand new to this and my mom and I are learning together. This is probably a really lame question, but is there a sheet that shows all the letters (maybe I missed it). I’m just practicing with lined paper and a pencil right now. Anything you can share is greatly appreciated. Thank you and LOVE your site! 🙂

Hi Michelle! Not lame at all!! In fact, look on this page (https://piecescalligraphy.com/learn) and find the downloadable guidesheets section. You can save and print it as many times as you’d like! Let me know if you need help finding it.

Hi! I just started practicing calligraphy and are there any “fonts” for practice? Because I think there are common fonts/style that most people use… or I’m not artistic enough to differentiate it. It looks simple but I know it’s not lol It’s kinda like Lauren’s handwriting (lower case b is kinda the same as h) If I sound like demanding, I’m sorry I’m not ;; I’m just curious if you call it font/style so I can practice that. Thank you!

Hi Ara! You bring up a great point – finding your style can be challenging, especially when you’re first starting out. My advice is to copy for practice purposes, but then when you try to write on your own, try to recreate the style but with your own take – maybe your strokes are thicker or thinner, you can flourish in different areas, or you can change the slant of your letters. It took me a while to find my own style, and sometimes I even think my style is still similar to other peoples’. But the more you practice, you naturally will develop something unique to you. Hope that helps. 🙂

Absolutely LOVING your blog and all of your tutorials! It’s hard to find a good beginning point, and this is it. I can already tell a huge improvement in my lettering.
Quick question (and sorry if I’m just not seeing it anywhere): do you have any blogs or videos on comma dots, or the letters that don’t use the basic strokes? My Rs, Ss, Es, and Ks are looking a little rough!! Some of them I’ve seen you write in other tutorials, but I’d love the extra help with those random letters. And what about capital letters?
Thanks so much for all of your help– it’s been so encouraging!

Thank you so much for the tutorials and videos! They are so helpful! It’s hard to find a good spot to begin, and this is definitely it! I do have a question (sorry if you’ve answered this elsewhere on your blog and I’m just not seeing it): do you have any blogs/videos/tutorials on comma dots, or the letters that don’t use only the basic strokes (R, S, K, E), or capital letters?
Thanks again for all the hard work you put into this!! It is much appreciated 🙂

Hi, Jill! I don’t yet have a post for those things, but I’m glad you asked. I will certainly work on that. In the meantime, you can always check some of my videos on Instagram (use the hashtag #piecesvideos) – Hopefully I demonstrate some of those letters. Let me know if there is one you really want to see me demo.

I am beginner in calligraphy and love all your tips and tutorials.. You were one of my inspirations to begin learning brush calligraphy..but I am having a huge trouble..fraying of brush pens.. I am using 32lb hp paper and tombow brushpens.. I hold the pens at an angle too..but still have already freayed 3 brush pens..where am I going wrong?? Can you please help…?? Thank you in advance

Hi there! What pens are you using? Some pens just happen to fray more easily than others. And even though you have to be firm in your grip, you still have to go slow and be careful not to kink the nib or accidentally push it down too much. Send me a photo of your work and I’m happy to take a look. You can email me at hello@piecescalligraphy.com.

Hi! I’m a 10 year old who got a Calligraphy set on my birthday. The thing is, I don’t know how to useit. There are no instructions even though its brand new. The pens are the one thats like a pen and one with no ink just a pen. May you please give some advice? Thanks.

Hey Charmain! Can you send me the name of your calligraphy set or a photo? You can email me at hello@piecescalligraphy.com. I’m not sure which one you’re talking about. My guess is it is a pointed pen and nib and you’ll need to purchase ink to dip into.

Hey there! This sounds cliche, but seriously the best way to improve consistency – practice. Now, the next question you may have is HOW to practice, or what are the BEST practices? That would be drills and very intentional types of study. Don’t just write to write. Actually study and observe each stroke and the overall stylistics of your desired style. Try to get feedback from others and also observe what aspects of other styles you like and see if you can try to incorporate them into your own. Hope that helps!

I just wanted to say that what you do is amazing. I have been watching tons of YouTube videos and I stumbled upon you. You provide guide sheets for free (which many are so expensive at other websites and you share what you know with tons of people for free. I truly admire you and you inspire me. I got my brush pen and Rhodia paper and I am finally ready to start along side your YouTube videos. I do have a question though, how do I subscribe to your blog? I can’t seem to find a link to subscribe on your website.

Thank you so much, Chantal! Actually, I haven’t been updating my blog in a while – so you’re not missing anything! Are you following me on Instagram? Or subscribed to my YouTube channel? I will definitely announce when I return to blogging weekly. Otherwise, you can also sign up for my online course waiting list at http://learnbrushcalligraphy.com. I share weekly tips to the wait list since the course doesn’t launch for a while. 🙂 Hope that helps!

Hi Keyla! I have a capitals guide in my starter guide that you can get after signing up for my waiting list for my online course. Go to: http://learnbrushcalligraphy.com to sign up and you’ll automatically be emailed the guide. Hope that helps! 🙂

I had wondered why calligraphy was given up because it is so beautiful. I googled it and come to find out calligraphy is good for brain functions. I read the New York Times article. Want to keep your brain spry, do calligraphy!